Traditional instrument panels in a transportation apparatus, such as a vehicle, a vessel, or an aircraft, are typically fixed to corresponding positions on a dashboard. For example, speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, and other gauges are typically fixed to corresponding positions on driver's side dashboard; and radio, GPS, music, and climate control (e.g. A/C) are typically fixed to the middle of the dashboard. The traditional instrument panels are typically separate and independent from each other. For example, the speedometer, a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of the transportation apparatus, is separate and independent from the odometer, a gauge indicating a distance traveled by the transportation apparatus.
Developments in liquid crystal display (LCD) technology have made free-form display on a dashboard a reality. Equipped with the new free-form display technology, a LCD screen can be snipped and shaped to fit virtually any layout design on a dashboard and to fill the entire surface area of the dashboard. The free-form display's flexibility makes it possible to integrate every necessary monitor or gauge, from speedometer to odometer, into a single instrument panel.